Wednesday, March 26 from 1:00 - 4:30pm (except where noted)
Lunch from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM is included with Pre-Conference registration.
“Cultivating Harmony in the Face of Hunger: Addressing Food Insecurity Through Community Collaboration”
Wednesday March 27th | 12:00-4:30
Organized by Jamie Casler, Asst. Professor of Social Justice and Director of the J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice at Trevecca Nazarene University.
Join Professor Casler as he leads participants on a visit to The Store at Belmont University, the Family Wellbeing Program at Belmont University, Trevecca Nazarene University’s Urban Farm, and The Nashville Food Project to learn about how these organizations work to address food insecurity in the Nashville community.
Please note that transportation will leave the Maxwell House at 12:00 p.m. and participants will eat lunch at the Belmont Ministry Center.
“Civil Rights, Protest, & Peacebuilding through Public History”
Wednesday, March 26 | 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Led by Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel, Assistant Professor of Global Leadership Studies and Honors at Belmont University and Executive Director of Nashville Sites.
Nashville had one of the most successful and well organized peaceful nonviolent lunch counter Sit-in Movements in America. Led by Fisk University students John Lewis and Diane Nash, their actions changed the law of discrimination in Nashville and have inspired many generations. Join Dr. Pethel as she shares insights on the creation of Nashville Sites and how she involved her Honors students in creating this website offering immersive, self-guided walking and driving tours of historic Nashville, blending rich narratives with multimedia content to showcase the city’s cultural heritage.
Following a brief presentation at the Maxwell House, participants will be led by Dr. Pethel on a combination driving and walking tour of sites related to Nashville’s Civil Rights movement.
“Healing Harmonies: Using Music to Inspire and Empower Through Life’s Challenges”
Wednesday, March 26 | 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Belmont University’s Ocean Way Studios
This session will explore the ways that music is being used to promote healing and provide inspiration to adults and children dealing with physical, emotional and economic challenges.
Dr. Alejandra Ferrer, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of Music Therapy at Belmont University, will share about the distinctions between Music Therapy, Music Education, Music Medicine, Songwriting, using music for oneself, etc…, and how Belmont’s Music Therapy program works with children, adolescents, adults and older adults to improve their quality of life.
In addition, participants will hear from the Musicians On Call, who for 25 years has organized communities of musicians and music enthusiasts to deliver the healing power of music to over 1.2 million hospitalized people across the US. They will explore two decades worth of perspectives and lessons in the field of community service, volunteerism, and the arts in healthcare. Join the discussion to learn more about the unique impact of music on health and the value of volunteerism to build communities of connection.
Participants are also invited to bring an original poem that they’ve composed to possibly be set to music by local songwriters Sherrie Austin and Will Rambeaux who do a similar activity with elementary and middle-school students in the community!
Ocean Way Nashville Recording Studios, founded in 1996 by Gary Belz and Allen Sides, are located in the heart of Nashville’s famous Music Row. Among the world’s finest recording facilities, its client roster reads like a who’s who of the music world spanning a range of styles from pop/rock to country to classical. Housed in a 100-year-old Gothic revival grey stone church, Ocean Way Nashville provides an exceptional acoustical space tuned specifically for music recording in the rich visual beauty of a church sanctuary. Besides working on countless hit records, Ocean Way Nashville has become a favorite destination for orchestral recording and scores film and video game projects for major companies around the world.